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Irving's Convention Center
Destination Development Studies Underway Multi-Purpose Center, Entertainment Complex Options Explored for Urban Center
Projects seldom get the advantage of both hindsight and a crystal ball but, at this particular moment, the Irving hospitality industry appears to be poised to benefit from both.
In 1999, when Irving's economic outlook could not have looked much brighter, the Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors commissioned a study on the feasibility of meeting facility for Irving. The recommendation then was for a traditional convention center complex, complete with an attached headquarters hotel, and a site in the Las Colinas Urban Center was identified by prospective customers as the ideal location. Architects were hired, focus groups convened and the detailed and coordinated planning began.
Fast forward to the significant economic downturn that began in the spring of 2001, amplified by the dramatic changes in corporations such as Enron, Tyco and WorldCom. The still-wrenching tragedies of September 11 followed, along with the Madrid subway bombings, and the rise of international concerns regarding the spread of "mad cow disease" and SARS.
The heavy hand of Sarbanes-Oxley had a significant impact on corporate travel and entertainment practices, the "dot com" world boomed and busted, the war in Iraq began and many playing fields changed permanently.
It was a difficult but appropriate decision when, in the face of continued depression of hotel tax revenues and a still uncertain economy, the City Council put the convention center project on hold until conditions showed signs of stabilization.
Last fall, after several quarters of exceedingly positive trends in visitor revenues, the Board of Directors recommended a fresh look at Irving's landscape. They commissioned a series of studies to fully evaluate from scratch opportunities for meeting facilities, as well as visitor investments beyond meeting facilities.
In its detailed evaluation of a wide range of meeting facility concepts, ranging from the original convention center plan to stand-alone exhibition halls to university-based conference centers, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) recommended the model of a "multi-purpose center" as presenting the best return and opportunity for Irving, and that the land purchased for the original convention center still makes best sense. This type of project could attract 15 conventions and trade shows, 15 consumer shows, 15 assembly events, 15 sporting events and 200 meetings and other events on an annual basis, according to preliminary findings. A multi-purpose approach could also allow the Bureau to better impact the greater "need times" for Irving's hospitality industry - weekends. A Phase II study was immediately commissioned, with results expected back in mid-October.
CH Johnson Consulting took the studies beyond meeting facilities, and evaluated the DFW landscape for other visitor development opportunities. Key to their findings were the need and opportunity for true destination retail experiences, unique entertainment districts, and even grand scale gathering places, citing Chicago's Millennium Park and Madrid's Plaza Mayor as examples. The study also echoed PWC's findings in the limitations of Irving's existing visitor amenities.
| RFPs (Coming Soon) |
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Study Results:
Meeting Facilities
Other Visitor Development
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| Executive Summaries (PDF) |
| Timelines (PDF) |
| Press Releases (Coming Soon) |
| Status/Next Steps (Coming Soon) |
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